Battle For Strategic Mariupol Begins, NATO Vows To Do "Whatever It Takes"

a reply to: victor7

There should be a rule on ATS that any evil moron who repeatedly twists the facts should be given some sort of reprimand.

Are you sure you would want that, because that could be costly to you?

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
a reply to: dragonridr

Don`t worry though, I`m not clueless about it.

Russia`s debt to GDP is very low, and because of that they won`t get in trouble soon and have much room to borrow if actual needed.

www.themoscowtimes.com...

Funny..

Borrow from whom?

originally posted by: Xcathdra

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
a reply to: dragonridr

Don`t worry though, I`m not clueless about it.

Russia`s debt to GDP is very low, and because of that they won`t get in trouble soon and have much room to borrow if actual needed.

www.themoscowtimes.com...

Funny..

Borrow from whom?

He hasnt figured out yet that Putin turned Russia into a rogue state. This makes investments risky for example Putin just jailed another businessman and attempting to take his business. Might as well call it nationalization the Putin way make up charges seize assets. Vladimir P. Yevtushenkov is being framed so Putins buddies at Rosneft can take control of Bashneft. Talk about a hostile takeover wow.

The arrest of a Russian telecoms and oil tycoon has sent shock waves through the country's business community, with some fearing a return to the dark days of a decade ago, when the Kremlin asserted its power by imprisoning the country's then-richest man and expropriating his companies.

The criminal case against 65-year-old Vladimir Yevtushenkov marks the first attack on a billionaire businessman since the arrest in 2003 of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of Yukos, which was the country's largest oil company at the time. He spent the next decade in prison on tax evasion and misappropriation charges and saw his company taken over by the state and sold in pieces.

The prosecution of Khodorkovsky had sent a clear message to Russian oligarchs: stay out of politics and your property will be safe. Russia's rich have followed that rule for nearly a decade, and now fret the unspoken promise may be void.

"It shows that now, no one is protected," said Vladimir Milov, an opposition politician and former deputy energy minister.

www.timesunion.com...

Yeah, Russia has become such a rogue state and they have no access to money anymore.

You guys might want to start talking to actual business people because they seem not to have figured that out yet.

Russia is in no hurry with counter sanctions

Russia's reaction to sanctions by the European Union and the United States are still left waiting. Counter sanctions are 'not a priority. "According to Russian Deputy Prime Dvorkovitsj.

Dvorkovitsj says to the Russian news agency Interfax that counter sanctions haven`t been a topic of discussion for the Russian government. According to him the Western sanctions have not resulted in decline of the number of foreign investors who are interested in the Russian market.

What the Russian counter sanctions will be is still unclear. Last week it was announced that there was a proposal for a ban on the import of used cars, but Minister of Industry Denis Mantoerov is not into that.

Source

Russian banks may attract financing from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan - VTB head

Besides China, Singapore and other Asian key markets, Russian banks may attract financial resources from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, head of Russia’s VTB bank Andrei Kostin said in an interview with ITAR-TASS at the international investment forum in Sochi on Saturday.

“We have attracted funds from Qatar and China, and the experience is positive. But we should realise our Eastern counterparts and financial institutions are cautious in this matter, as they also may be subjects of sanctions from the U.S. But I believe here we have certain financial success and we shall receive financing, though it would require certain efforts,” he said adding major Asian investors “are not fleeing” due to high reliability of Russian financial institutions, including VTB.

Source

European businesses consider investing in Crimea - deputy minister

“Everyone interested in investing in Crimea", said Andrei Sokolov

Source

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Ah...

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan... Part of the G192.

I guess Russia is set then...

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Russian banks may attract financing from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan - VTB head

So Russia has a problem with the IMF, yet they will take money from a member of the IMF...oh the irony of that.

After gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan became a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank.[

en.wikipedia.org...

Azerbaijan has close economic ties with Russia, so they need Russia to have funding.

And just ignore European businesses, Qatar, China, Singapore and other Asian key markets which can provide funding.

And also ignore China becoming the biggest economy in the world as an partner.

It sure doens`t look good for Russia at all.

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

And just ignore European businesses, Qatar, China, Singapore and other Asian key markets which can provide funding.

And no country wants to invest heavily with a country that has an unsure future with someone such as Putin at the top. Understand investing is a business and no business wants an unsure future. And by that I mean not making money.

POST REMOVED BY STAFF

a reply to: tsurfer2000h

Why tell me, I`m not going to invest over there ?

Russia has vast amount of resources and resources are collateral.

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Do not listen to this anti-Russia rabid mouth piece.

There was a comment made by Obama about Russia: "It does not produce anything other than energy needs".

That alone is an excellent area for investors from China to take interest into. Invest into Russian industries and sell to the Russian market of 150 million people. The labor force is cheaper than Western Europe by several times. Machines Chinese can bring with themselves and rest is a matter of how savvy operations one runs.

Same holds true for auto makers from India. Just set up a manufacturing plant in Russia and cater to the CIS market.

originally posted by: victor7
a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Do not listen to this anti-Russia rabid mouth piece.

There was a comment made by Obama about Russia: "It does not produce anything other than energy needs".

That alone is an excellent area for investors from China to take interest into. Invest into Russian industries and sell to the Russian market of 150 million people. The labor force is cheaper than Western Europe by several times. Machines Chinese can bring with themselves and rest is a matter of how savvy operations one runs.

Same holds true for auto makers from India. Just set up a manufacturing plant in Russia and cater to the CIS market.

If things are so good in Russia why the capitol flight the inflation Ruble wont be worth the paper its printed on if inflation continues to climb. and even worse their economy is shrinking instead of growing. The Russian currency has
now fallen as much as 19% since the start of the year(actually a bit lower since it reached an all time low against the dollar recently.They have been isolated from the credit markets meaning their banks cant move money in or out. Than their is the stupid move Putin made on banning food imports as retaliation against the sanction. In truth didnt have many options other than food since the Russian economy is so dependent on fuel sales their industry is almost non existent they import everything. But to make matter worse his retaliation has caused prices for meat and poultry went to 40% and still climbing. Russia is currently having to pull 8 billion from the state pension fund to help businesses effected by sanctions. Even with that the travel industry already crumbled to the point many Russians were stranded all over the world when it went under. But yeah your right the russian economy is great hail Putin.

a reply to: dragonridr

Capital flight is because that is the stolen money which can either be kept as cash or has to be sent overseas. Corruption is a major issue in Russia no doubt.

Regarding Rouble, sanctions have only few effects, it is the prices of gas and oil also which effect the price of the currency.

Banning imports from the west is a good move in the long run. Short run any structural changes will have higher prices type of effects.

Russia is not yet out of SWIFT transactions. Regarding some banks under sanctions that only means $30 odd of extra transaction fees plus may be 1-2 day late payments or receipts. Funds can always be directed to an account set up overseas to channel in and out of the Russian banks. If Russia is out of SWIFT then it will hurt for some time until an alternative to SWIFT can be established. Till that time, Russia can incorporate a bank in 3rd country and same old redirecting etc. Iran did set up accounts in 3rd countries and it was working just fine.

Also there are parties which will deliver cash to your door for 1% fees. When you are talking millions than 1% reduces to .1% very quickly.

Russia's main threat is internal like corruption, capital flight and emigration etc. Putin is working on those steadily.

a reply to: victor7


Yeah we see Putin trying to correct things by stealing more companies by jailing their owner. Pays to be friends with Putin you want a company have Putin arrest them. Of course this isnt the first time or the last im sure.

"Without doubt this looks very like Yukos 2.0, because the charges apply to the head of a company that paid $2.5 billion for assets and is now accused of stealing shares and money-laundering," Alexander Shokhin, head of Russia'sUnion of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

a reply to: dragonridr

ya man!! putting a thief in jail will always be blown up in the west as "oppression" and "violation of human rights".

Kremlin needs to find ways to confiscate the wealth of 90% of Oligarchs and then re-issue the shares to public depending on some calculations and after very transparent company valuation.

The company will still be private market trading organization. The ownership is distributed and management chosen after "extremely thorough vetting" by strict parameters. The shares given to public will be frozen and cannot be resold for 2 years atleast no matter what.

It has been nearly 25 years since the managers and regulators of Russia got their hands on western market procedures and compliance rules. By now, they are sharp enough to device some way to reinject fair market capitalism in the Russian society.

Putin's idea of 13% flat taxation was good in early 2000s. Country was coming out of depression and more disposable incomes in the pockets of people would mean more consumption and investment and thus higher growth in the economy. After a decade of such low taxes, now Russia can afford to apply progressive income based tax rates to balance its budgets and more so when it seems nearly $100/barell of oil prices are need to balance Russian annual budgets. In 2008, this figure used to be $70/brl. Such slide should be undone and can be via control on corruption..........even at the cost of hard stick on the capital flight.

a reply to: dragonridr

Did you even look at the charges? Hes accused of buying rights that were put up for sale frm another man that bought them. Wow real ctime there huh. Putins sending a message no business is safe from his corruption oh excuse me i meant regulation.

Anatoly Chubais, an architect of Russia’s privatization program in the 1990s who now heads the state nanotechnology corporation, called Evtushenkov’s arrest “an extremely serious blow to the investment climate.” Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists & Entrepreneurs, a business lobby group, said it might prompt some Russian businesses to change their tax domiciles or close their Russian operations.

Looks like Putin is scaring off businesses who will be looking to jump to another country to escape Putins greed.

And what is NATO going to do? It’s a little late. Oh, standby….Obama is going to threaten sanctions. That will scare Putin back into his cave!
/end sarcasm

a reply to: spirit_horse


Yeah Obama is avoiding this like the plague. But doesnt look like it can remain that way. As far as Nato Obama isnt in control and more and more members of Nato see Russia as a threat. So expect thier decisions to be different from Obama. See Russia is a threat to Europe but the US not so much. Obama has bigger problems in the middle east.

a reply to: spirit_horse

Why is Russia being so heavily sanctioned?


What has happened where the Russian economy is intentionally attacked?


Did they cut the heads off Americans?

a reply to: dragonridr

No they don`t.

Only a few ATS members are thinking that.

Rasmussen: Russia ‘Not an Imminent Threat’ to NATO Members

"I do not think Russia poses an imminent threat to the NATO allies for the very reason that Russia knows that we have an Article 5 in our NATO treaty that protects any allies against attack, and an attack on one would be an attack on the whole alliance. Russia knows that and that is why I do not think Russia poses an imminent threat to the alliance," Rasmussen told reporters.

Source